PGE thread [Archive 2015-07-31]

[FanofSMBX]

Is it possible to make the editor window the same resolution as SMBX's editor?

[Wohlstand]

Is it possible to make the editor window the same resolution as SMBX's editor?

you can switch into sub-wibdow mode in the "Window" menu and you have freedom to set window size, also you can use zoom if you have too small screen or you wanna put item more accurately in grid-less mode.

[Squishy Rex]

Spoiler: show

Could you add a feature that tests for transparency on blocks and npcs to detect hitboxes? It would be better to work with rather than the default of everything.

Is you mean shape collision detection?
I.e. collision will be passed if drawn images was collided like this:

Spoiler: show

The default is rectangle collision boxes:

Spoiler: show

This already planned for engine part, and you can check the config directory

When you will open the configs/SMBX folder with a bunch of INI-files you will found the PNG image. It is an example of collision shapes for blocks. This is a definition of collision shape of blocks (is a fixture-type= values of each block in the lvl_blocks.ini config file)

This means, when you will set value "3", the block's physical shape will repeat the image, and you can make block with any physical shape.
Also will planned customizing of item configs like npc.txt but for blocks, BGOs, backgrounds, etc. This will help to define custom animation frames or define the custom image file, and also physical shape value

That will be so beneficial in many ways. It will fix practically all weird hitboxes, stop NPCs from doing that strange cliff-hanging thing when about to fall from an edge. I didn't think this would actually be possible like it is in the NSMB series, but as SnifitGuy said, it would remaster what we have in SMBX and revolutionize customization in blocks and NPCs.

[Sednaiur]

I think, I have found a rather huge bug, regarding the "lvl_blocks". When I added "grid=16" to some of the blocks, PGE suddenly cannot read all the SMBX-data anymore, what causes it to not work properly, or even crash when you try to make a new level.
I did not change anything else, just the mentioned "grid=16", which I placed just like it is placed at the metroid door-blocks.
I did that on all the ?-blocks, on the emptied ?-blocks, on the "on" and "Off"-switches, on all the destructable bricks, on the noteblock, on the playerblocks, and on the red SMB3-block that turns into red coins, when pushing a p-switch.

I hope this helps you in any way.

[Wohlstand]

I think, I have found a rather huge bug, regarding the "lvl_blocks". When I added "grid=16" to some of the blocks, PGE suddenly cannot read all the SMBX-data anymore, what causes it to not work properly, or even crash when you try to make a new level.
I did not change anything else, just the mentioned "grid=16", which I placed just like it is placed at the metroid door-blocks.
I did that on all the ?-blocks, on the emptied ?-blocks, on the "on" and "Off"-switches, on all the destructable bricks, on the noteblock, on the playerblocks, and on the red SMB3-block that turns into red coins, when pushing a p-switch.

I hope this helps you in any way.

Check those things first:
- INI-file should be saved into UTF-8 without BOM (try Notepad++ or Akelpad, they are can save this format)
- those strings causing errors:

Code: Select all

            ;xxxxx

Comment should start from first character on line or from back of the defined value:

Code: Select all

;             xxxxx

Code: Select all

x=325         ;xxxxx

Also, open the "Tools" -> Configurations -> Config status window and check the "Errors" tab just in case

[Wohlstand]

Here is a list of some changes which were made in the latest Beta release:
(You can get the updated version 0.2.0.2-dev from the laboratory [check the first post for the link] to test the updated version of the PGE editor)

---

• Better Grid aligning algorithm

Here is the old algorithm which aligns each item by it's grid size:
(the result can be incorrect and not similar to the original)
Before

Spoiler: show

Here is a new smarter algorithm which aligns one of the items which have the largest grid size and moves the other items by the distance which was passed by the aligned item. Thus you will see the correct aligning of the selected items group:
(the result being equal to the original)
After

Spoiler: show

World map copy-pasting test:

Spoiler: show

---

• collision check update

This is a small update but it's fixing some serious issues:
The collision check will now work quickly even if you have moved a big item group.

Spoiler: show

But when one of collisions passed, will be returned back whole selected group instead each collided items of group which perverts any junk between items


Square fill works quicker now:

---

• Semi-Transparent paths feature

Here is a special thing which will make all paths semi-transparent!

Spoiler: show

You can use this feature together with the "Lock all paths" flag to edit sceneries more conveniently:

---

• New music playback and sound system

This also includes an update with the music player. Now it uses the SDL2_mixer library, which will be used in the engine part.
This library allows playing the WAV, MID, OGG, MP3 (if you've built the SDL2_mixer with a libMAD library), FLAC formats, and also a lot of Tracker Music formats: *.mod, *.it, *.s3m, *.669, *.med, *.xm, *.amf, *.apun, *.dsm, *.far, *.gdm, *.imf, *.mtm, *.okt, *.stm, *.stx, *.ult and *.uni.
You can use Tracker Music formats like *.mod or *.it which support integrated loop points (you can insert into games high quality music which will have a smaller filesize unlike MP3's or WAV's, also a lot of possibles to convert *.spc format into *.it format which is easy to use). This library also supports fading of music, which means: it's possible to make a smooth music change between sections and when a level is starting.

Music playback will start instantly without any delays (especially on levels with a large number of items)

• Also some additions by Kevsoft:

The tileset editor has been expanded: you have a maximum of 20x20 slots for your tiles!

Spoiler: show

And a search filter for custom tilesets:

Spoiler: show

[Frisktaker]

Just want to point out that I had to download libgcc_s_dw2-1.dll in order to open PGE.

[Wohlstand]

Just want to point out that I had to download libgcc_s_dw2-1.dll in order to open PGE.

Ouch, I will put this library into package now, and now you can took them here: http://engine.wohlnet.ru/docs/Software/libgcclibs.zip

[Frisktaker]

Also, for some reason whenever I open PGE by double-clicking a .lvl file, stuff doesn't show up.

[Wohlstand]

Also, for some reason whenever I open PGE by double-clicking a .lvl file, stuff doesn't show up.

You should associate files with editor application first:
[Tools -> Application settings], and button in the bottom.
If you was used online installer, associate can be wrong. True association can be made via application settings dialog.

[Frisktaker]

Also, for some reason whenever I open PGE by double-clicking a .lvl file, stuff doesn't show up.

You should associate files with editor application first:
[Tools -> Application settings], and button in the bottom.
If you was used online installer, associate can be wrong. True association can be made via application settings dialog.

It worked! It's odd, though, because The .lvl files have the icon, and I THOUGHT that I checked the Associate files thing in the installer.
Also, I've noticed that there are some hardcoded gfx in the config, even the ones that were used for smbx's level editor. Do you plan on implementing the online, or are the colored gloves there for no reason whatsoever.

About what you said about making collision dependent on image shape, what if, in the new format, there was an optional image file that defined the hitbox stuff? Like, it could use different colors to define what weapons could hurt it, and whether it could hurt YOU, or even whether it's considered solid. Imagine A guy completely protected by a tank except for the head, which you have to jump on. In SMBX, this would be difficult, right? But with MY idea, you could make the area around the tank transparent, the tank, let's say, black, and the guy's head, white, and make the the tank treads red, and then you could define those colors as pass-through, solid, jumpable, and damaging respectively. Then you could play the level and you'd be hurt if the tank runs you over, but you could STAND on the tank no-problem, and you could jump on the guy. And these colors would be defineable in some way. (Using some sort of way to make it possible to stack effects, like if you wanted Link's sword and an ice flower to BOTH be able to hurt an area, but NOT Fire flowers, and only in that area.) You could also define how much damage is done.
I'm sure I could have explained that idea better. The collision image would have to be the same size, or the game would look for a npc-x file, and if it can't find THAT, it would use the npc's default values.
Hope you don't think my idea is TOO rediculous.

[Wohlstand]

Also, for some reason whenever I open PGE by double-clicking a .lvl file, stuff doesn't show up.

You should associate files with editor application first:
[Tools -> Application settings], and button in the bottom.
If you was used online installer, associate can be wrong. True association can be made via application settings dialog.

It worked! It's odd, though, because The .lvl files have the icon, and I THOUGHT that I checked the Associate files thing in the installer.
Also, I've noticed that there are some hardcoded gfx in the config, even the ones that were used for smbx's level editor. Do you plan on implementing the online, or are the colored gloves there for no reason whatsoever.

About what you said about making collision dependent on image shape, what if, in the new format, there was an optional image file that defined the hitbox stuff? Like, it could use different colors to define what weapons could hurt it, and whether it could hurt YOU, or even whether it's considered solid. Imagine A guy completely protected by a tank except for the head, which you have to jump on. In SMBX, this would be difficult, right? But with MY idea, you could make the area around the tank transparent, the tank, let's say, black, and the guy's head, white, and make the the tank treads red, and then you could define those colors as pass-through, solid, jumpable, and damaging respectively. Then you could play the level and you'd be hurt if the tank runs you over, but you could STAND on the tank no-problem, and you could jump on the guy. And these colors would be defineable in some way. (Using some sort of way to make it possible to stack effects, like if you wanted Link's sword and an ice flower to BOTH be able to hurt an area, but NOT Fire flowers, and only in that area.) You could also define how much damage is done.
I'm sure I could have explained that idea better. The collision image would have to be the same size, or the game would look for a npc-x file, and if it can't find THAT, it would use the npc's default values.
Hope you don't think my idea is TOO rediculous.

For shape collisions need only image with transparency, but in the editor I was switched by-shape collisions to the by-rectangle, because you can't select invisible items (this is important). You don't need for other images to make the by-shape collision, need only image with transparency layer. You can use semi-transparency pixels (AlphaChannel value ~1-10) to make invisible colliding pixels. Later I will add flag into global config which will enable by-shape collision type for target item. Collision boxex (I'm always call "hitboxes" as "Collision boxes") are editable by global configs, also blocks have configurable collision shape too (Look more above).
With programmable NPC's AI you can define NPC's default health and protections for some weapon types, etc., and later planned a lot of gameplay features like takable weapons which you can select for use and which will have difference power/damage and bullets/arrows/magic limites (exceptions: swords, axes, hammers, knifes, etc.), and global world variables and flags which will overwrite level state by events (which will check conditions to start, one of conditions will be a global variable value) which allow you to create non-linear RPG-like games.

[Axiom]

i noticed sometimes the editor won't open .lvl files in explorer if pge is already open.

[Wohlstand]

i noticed sometimes the editor won't open .lvl files in explorer if pge is already open.

Yea, it is an old imperfection, but I was fixed them and this fix available in the laboratory, you can test them, or you can build editor from sources for Linux, but update: you should install SDL2 and SDL2_mixer libraries too (will better if you will build them yourself)
Here is updated Linux section, but Windows and Mac OS's section's I wasn't done, and I will write about building SDL2 libraries too.
http://engine.wohlnet.ru/forum/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=67
But for Windows and MacOS will be easier:
1) for Windows I can build myself and will put prebuilt Devel package into my server to speed-up windows builting
2) MacOS's version of SMPEG library which officially published in the pre-built SDL2 library is work perfectly and you don't need to rebuild SDL with LibMAD to allow MP3 format playback (for Windows I should rebuild SDL2_mixer with LibMAD library to fix MP3 format playback).

[underFlo]

I got a problem: If I wanna create a custom tileset, everything works fine. But as soon as I wanna open it, it switches to the default graphics.

Edit: I jsut tried using it with the group tileset editor, and it says "%1" was alreeady in use and the tileset might have an error and afterwards the tileset got deleted.

[Wohlstand]

I got a problem: If I wanna create a custom tileset, everything works fine. But as soon as I wanna open it, it switches to the default graphics.

Edit: I jsut tried using it with the group tileset editor, and it says "%1" was alreeady in use and the tileset might have an error and afterwards the tileset got deleted.

Hi,
1) if you wanna edit custom tileset, you should open level which catching this tileset (it should be placed with level file together or inside it's custom data directory) and press "edit" (pencil) icon nearly target tileset in the tileset item box. When you opening the tileset editor in the "Tools -> Tilesets and palletes", you opening the editing of the global tileset bank which saving tilesets into the config pack's global "tilesets" directory and those tileset can be used in the global tileset groups.

2) Tileset Group tileset editor is editor of global tileset banks. It always using a global bank of tilesets, and it will be apply to config's default tilesets which will be appeared in own tabs (tileset category) and inside combo-boxes (tileset group). This need if you creating your own config pack and you wanna organize your item bank by categories and by groups.

Later I will write full reference for config pack's INI files and manual to creating item lists, categories and groups.

[underFlo]

Umm... I don't really get it. How can I edit existing tilesets? There is no pencil icon. (And yes I'm using the newest lab version). Might you give an in-depth tutorial?

[Wohlstand]

Umm... I don't really get it. How can I edit existing tilesets? There is no pencil icon. (And yes I'm using the newest lab version). Might you give an in-depth tutorial?

Pencil icon you will see in the "Custom" tab, where is a level/world specific tilesets. I was told, if you create tileset via "Tools -> Tilesets and palletes -> Tileset editor", you will store your tileset into global tileset bank but it will not be used before you will add them into one of tileset groups.
Global tileset bank I mean the config pack specific, will be visible to ANY levels/world which you open while this config pack is active now.
Level/World specific is a tilesets which you create via "Create tileset" button in the "Custom" tab. This tileset will be saved together with level or world file or will be saved in the level/world custom data dir.

http://help.engine.wohlnet.ru/tools/til ... m_tilesets

Using is easy:

if you wanna CREATE new tileset for level or world, simply press "New Tileset" in the custom tab. (defaultly it will have no tilesets, but when you save your tileset it will be episode specific, but when you will check "Level/World specific", this tileset will be visible only for this level or world file).

Each tileset, is a *.tileset.ini file which a text file with list of table cells. Each cell contains the ID of item by specific item type. If you wanna give it to other, you should give it with a custom graphics too, or your friend will see default graphics in this tileset.

EDIT: If you wanna edit exist tileset in the file system, you can do this:
Press "New Tileset" in the custom tab while some level is opened, press the "Open" button and select in folders your tileset. And when you will try to save your tileset, it will be saved in the episode or in level/world custom data folder

[Wohlstand]

-> PGE Editor 0.2.1 Beta
This is mainly a bug fix and optimization update.
Also, we have great news: we are ready to start development of the PGE engine counterpart!
New features will be added into the editor during the engine development process, including: a cross-process module which will allow level/world testing from the editor without using SMBX, and many other useful features!

Changelog 0.2.1

Spoiler: show

- Added support for multi-selection by holding the shift key
- Added new PGE-only file formats LVLX and WLDX, which support more features and have fewer limitations than the SMBX formats, such as the maximum number of items
- Improved overall performance
- Smarter grid snapping of the selected items group
- Clicking a layer from the list will select which layer new items will be placed on
- Added SDL library to give better music and sound playback
- Fixed grid alignment after duplicating/pasting
- Added semi-transparent paths view for world map
- Added displaying of the items statistics to the debugger box
- Fixed config directory path on Mac OS X
- Fixed bug with item boxes updating when you switch between other applications
- Added SMBX64 standard validator which prevents you from saving a file that would cause SMBX to crash, such as exceeding SMBX's maximum level size, etc.
- Added ability to export images of only a selected portion of a level
- Added support for a Themes system. You can customize the UI and GFX of editor on your own!

Screenshots

Spoiler: show

Multi-selection with Shift key


Fixed move / aligning / copy-pasting


Semi-transparent paths
You can use them together with "lock paths" flag to work with scenery more convenient



Added new file formats (PGE internal)
LVLX - the future successor of SMBX LVL format. The LVLX file format is flexible and will always be backwards-compatible (can be opened in old versions of the PGE editor).
The file format is highly optimized and organized:

• data values are separated by sections which you can place in any order
• each value has its own marker/header which connects the data field with its array variable, you can even create new data fields or exclude unnecessary fields (unknown fields/markers are ignored, undefined fields/markers are set to their default values).
• equal to default or unused data is never written into the file, which reduces its size to about half the size of a LVL file, even with data-markers.
• more data types, such as strings which can hold special characters like line feed characters (for example, you can use NPC's messages with just a NewLine character instead of extra spaces)
• file data is more readable via Notepad

Themes System
Allows you to change not just the editor icons, but even cursors and player spawn-point images:
(you can use any image for the player spawn-point, it will be attached to bottom-center of the cursor automatically)

[zioy]

-> PGE Editor 0.2.1 Beta
This is mainly a bug fix and optimization update.
Also, we have great news: we are ready to start development of the PGE engine counterpart! :clapping:
New features will be added into the editor during the engine development process, including: a cross-process module which will allow level/world testing from the editor without using SMBX, and many other useful features!

Changelog 0.2.1

Spoiler: show

- Added support for multi-selection by holding the shift key
- Added new PGE-only file formats LVLX and WLDX, which support more features and have fewer limitations than the SMBX formats, such as the maximum number of items
- Improved overall performance
- Smarter grid snapping of the selected items group
- Clicking a layer from the list will select which layer new items will be placed on
- Added SDL library to give better music and sound playback
- Fixed grid alignment after duplicating/pasting
- Added semi-transparent paths view for world map
- Added displaying of the items statistics to the debugger box
- Fixed config directory path on Mac OS X
- Fixed bug with item boxes updating when you switch between other applications
- Added SMBX64 standard validator which prevents you from saving a file that would cause SMBX to crash, such as exceeding SMBX's maximum level size, etc.
- Added ability to export images of only a selected portion of a level
- Added support for a Themes system. You can customize the UI and GFX of editor on your own!

Screenshots

Spoiler: show

Multi-selection with Shift key


Fixed move / aligning / copy-pasting


Semi-transparent paths
You can use them together with "lock paths" flag to work with scenery more convenient



Added new file formats (PGE internal)
LVLX - the future successor of SMBX LVL format. The LVLX file format is flexible and will always be backwards-compatible (can be opened in old versions of the PGE editor).
The file format is highly optimized and organized:

• data values are separated by sections which you can place in any order
• each value has its own marker/header which connects the data field with its array variable, you can even create new data fields or exclude unnecessary fields (unknown fields/markers are ignored, undefined fields/markers are set to their default values).
• equal to default or unused data is never written into the file, which reduces its size to about half the size of a LVL file, even with data-markers.
• more data types, such as strings which can hold special characters like line feed characters (for example, you can use NPC's messages with just a NewLine character instead of extra spaces)
• file data is more readable via Notepad

Themes System
Allows you to change not just the editor icons, but even cursors and player spawn-point images:
(you can use any image for the player spawn-point, it will be attached to bottom-center of the cursor automatically)

YESSS THE ENGINE IS COMING SOON